SOCIAL SURVEY RESEARCH: AN OVERVIEW OF SURVEY RESEARCH PRINCIPLES FOR CONSUMERS AND DECISION MAKERS.

SOME QUESTIONS YOU NEED TO ASK WHEN UNDERTAKING SOCIAL RESEARCH:

! What is (are) your research question(s)? (Be as precise as possible.) ! What are the key variables you need to collect information upon? (A measurement question.) ! What do you expect to find? (What is your hypothesis?) ! How will you test your hypothesis(es)? (How will you address your research question)? ! How will you measure the variables you have decided to examine? (This involves the issue of operationalization.)

! What is the best method for collecting data to address your research question? (Is survey research the best way of answering your question? This is a research design question.) ! Are there possibilities to use triangulation? (Can you collect data through multiple methods; e.g., in addition to some form of survey research, can you make direct observation, use available data, can you engage in other forms of unobtrusive data collection). ! What is the unit of analysis you are interested in? (E.g., individuals, groups, provinces). ! What population are you interested in generalizing to? (This is a different question than the previous one.)

! What is your sampling frame? ! What type of sampling procedure do you intend to employ? ! What size will your sample be? Why? ! What is your anticipated response rate?

! Is the main purpose of your research descriptive or explanatory? ! How will you analyze your data? ! Will you be doing univariate, bivariate, or multivariate analysis? ! What relevant sub-groups should you consider in your analysis? ! What comparison data is available.

! Are your findings mainly applied, or are there broader social trends, or theoretical explanations that may be relevant to consider? ! How will you present your findings?

ISSUES RELATED TO SAMPLING ! Why Sample? ! Probability vs. Non-Probability Samples ! Population of Interest ! Sampling Frame

! Types of Random Samples Simple Random Sampling Systematic Sampling with a Random Start Stratified Random Sampling Multi-Stage Cluster Sampling

! Types of Non-Random Samples Purposive Samples Quota Samples Snowball Sample Available Subjects

ISSUES RELATED TO MEASUREMENT AND QUESTIONNAIRE CONSTRUCTION ! Questions vs. statements (e.g., likert scale type items). ! Open-ended vs. closed-ended questions. ! Avoid Double-Barrelled Questions. ! Respondents Must Be Competent to Answer. ! Questions Should be Relevant. ! Short Items Are Best ! Avoid Negative Items. ! Avoid Biased Items and Terms. ! Single vs. Multiple Indicators ! Reliability and Validity

QUESTIONNAIRE FORMAT ! Formats for Responses ! Ordering of Questions

FACTORS AFFECTING THE RESPONSE RATE OF MAIL SURVEYS ! Sponsorship ! Questionnaire Format and Colour. ! Cover Letter. ! Ease of Completing and Returning the Questionnaire. ! Inducements to Reply. ! The Characteristics of the Respondents. ! Type of Mailing. ! Follow-up Letters and Telephone Calls. ! Number and Timing of Follow-ups or Reminders.

A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Babbie, Earl The Practice of Social Research, 7th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Bailey, Kenneth D Methods of Social Research. Second Edition. New York: The Free Press. Converse, Jean M. and Stanley Presser Survey Questions: Handcrafting the Standardized Questionnaire. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Dillman, D.A Mail and Telephone Surveys: The Total Design Method. New York: Wiley and Sons. Dillman, Don A "The Design and Administration of Mail Surveys." Annual Review of Sociology 17:

Gray, George and Neil Guppy Successful Surveys. Toronto: Harcourt Brace. Lee, Eun Sul, Ronald N. Forthofer, and Ronald J. Lorimer Analyzing Complex Survey Data. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Miller, Delbert C Handbook of Research Design and Social Measurement. Fifth Edition. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications Sudman, Seymour, and Norman Bradburn Asking Questions: A Practical Guide to Questionnaire Design. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.